NEW DELHI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s stunning IPL 2026 Eliminator knock may have ended just three runs short of a century, but it still became one of the biggest talking points of the season. The 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals batter smashed 97 off only 29 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad, hammering 12 sixes and completely dominating the bowling attack before finally being dismissed by SRH pacer Praful Hinge.Hinge celebrated aggressively after taking the wicket, clearly pumped up after ending Sooryavanshi’s destructive innings. However, the celebration did not go down well with many fans on social media, with several users criticising the bowler for his reaction against a teenager who had just played a breathtaking knock.Soon after the dismissal, SRH batter Abhishek Sharma walked up to Sooryavanshi and gave him a reassuring pat on the back. The gesture quickly caught attention online, with many fans appreciating the sportsmanship shown by the Indian opener.Watch:Before his dismissal, Sooryavanshi had completely changed the game with fearless batting at the top of the order. He and Yashasvi Jaiswal added 125 runs for the opening wicket in rapid time, putting Rajasthan Royals firmly in control of the Eliminator clash.The teenager narrowly missed becoming the fastest centurion in IPL history but still managed to rewrite several records during his innings. His explosive strokeplay left even experienced bowlers struggling for answers.Dhruv Jurel later added a quickfire 50 off just 21 balls to help Rajasthan Royals post a massive total of 243/8 in 20 overs.For Sunrisers Hyderabad, Praful Hinge finished with figures of 3/54 despite enduring a difficult outing during Sooryavanshi’s assault. Rajasthan Royals eventually dominated the match and moved one step closer to the IPL 2026 final with a commanding performance in the knockout encounter.
